Square Purchases and Cardholder Help
Buyers can purchase from merchants using Square to process credit cards in person, over the phone or through Square Online. If you don’t recognize a charge that may be from a Square merchant, this article will help you understand next steps.
You can view and print receipts for purchases from merchants using Square with our transaction search.
Identify Square Purchases
If you make a purchase with a merchant who uses Square to accept payments in person, over the phone or through Square Online, the characters SQ* or gosq.com, the merchant’s name or business name and business type will appear on your credit card statement. Charges can appear on your statement in a few different ways. For example:
The bakery Sweet Dozen would appear as “SQ* SWEET DOZEN BAKERY” on your statement.
A bakery merchant with no business name would appear as “SQ* BAKERY JOHN SMITH” on your statement.
An individual selling baked goods would appear as “SQ* JOHN SMITH” on your statement.
If you see gosq.com on your statement, this represents a purchase made with a Square seller. If you don’t recognize the charge from the description, you can look up the Square purchase using our transaction search.
Note: If you included a tip on a sale with a merchant using Square, you may see the sale mentioned twice on your bank statement. The pre-tip amount is a pending authorization and will drop off in a few days.
If you do not recognize the merchant name on your statement, try to recall where you were on the date of the transaction and what you might have purchased. To help jog your memory, you may want to review the following questions:
Did you travel in a taxi, visit an outdoor market or eat at a food truck?
Did the merchant swipe your card through a small white square plastic card reader attached to their mobile device?
Did you sign for the purchase with your finger on a mobile device?
Did you make a phone, mail or online purchase around the time of the charge?
Did you receive an electronic receipt over email or text message?
If so, have you contacted the merchant via the contact information displayed on the electronic receipt directly?
If you still don’t recognize the charge, take a moment to look up the Square receipt. It may help remind you of the purchase. You can also contact us for more information. We’ll provide public information that may help you remember the charge.
Unrecognized or Disputed Charges
Most major credit card companies offer payment dispute services for unauthorized charges or charges that were not delivered as expected. If a purchased item or service was not delivered or was not delivered as expected, we recommend contacting the merchant directly to resolve the issue. If you’re unable to contact the merchant, or if you are certain that a charge is unauthorized, contact your card-issuing bank or credit institution for further assistance. Please know that Square is unable to provide refunds on behalf of Square merchants.
Ensure Successful Online Purchases
For a positive buyer experience online, we recommend the following tips:
Take advantage of the note field in your shopping cart to communicate anything you would like the seller to know.
Check that your shipping address and contact information is correct when checking out.
Save your order and shipping confirmation emails, which include the business’ contact information as well as your order number.
Learn more about buying items from Square merchants online and the order process.
If you have any questions about your purchase, or have not received your order, contact the Square merchant directly using the information provided in the confirmation email.